Defending the Reaper: A Tortured Hero Redemption Hockey Romance

He’s trying to outrun his past—until she crashes into his future.


My life is as tangled as a wad of skate laces—and it’s a mess I’ve created. I’m captain of my hockey team, on the verge of having my C stripped away. It’s time to piece things back together, and I’m ready for a fresh start. But then I crash into Ellie Hendricks. Literally.


Ellie’s got her own battles, trying to keep her landscaping company afloat. The last thing she needs is someone like me barreling into her world. But I’m determined to make up for my latest screwup, and I won’t stop until I get my way. Ellie says all she wants from me is to fix her van, but as I get to know her, I catch a glimpse of something deeper—and I want it. I want her. I’ve got secrets, though, ones I can’t reveal, and my mixed signals aren’t making it easy on either of us.


Keeping it casual would be the smart play. But the attraction between us? It’s overpowering, dragging us both into the deep end. Sooner or later, my past will come knocking, and we’ll find out if we can keep our heads above water—or if we’ll end up drowning.